CATRIN scientists make their mark at AFO’s anniversary edition
The opening of the scientific comics exhibition from CATRIN was one of the first events of this year’s international festival of popular science documentary Academia Film Olomouc—AFO, which was officially launched on Tuesday. This 60th edition features 500 programme items. Researchers from CATRIN will present projects such as TECHSCALE, Trans2Dchem, and the OLIVIE strategy, and will engage in discussions with participants on how scientific results can help address some of today’s pressing issues. Once again, CATRIN is a partner of the festival.
“As George E. Brown Jr. once said, research isn’t finished until the results are clearly communicated to the public. At CATRIN, we therefore see science communication as an integral part of our mission, and we strive to make our research understandable and beneficial to society as a whole. We see AFO as a unique platform,” explained CATRIN director Pavel Banáš about the reasons for the collaboration.
Comics at the CENTRAL Cinema
Pavel Banáš also opened the exhibition of comics by Patrick Trouillas. The illustrated adventures of the robot Herman and his friend Begonia, which introduce specific research projects at CATRIN, can be viewed by visitors throughout the festival in the foyer of the Central cinema.
On Technology, Trust, and a Healthy Lifestyle
How trust in new technologies is built, how scientific discoveries enter the public sphere, and what influences their acceptance in society will be discussed by participants of the panel discussion Perception and Acceptance of New Technologies by Society. Among the panellists will be members of the TECHSCALE project team from the OP JAK programme, coordinated by Michal Otyepka from CATRIN. The panel will be moderated by the science journalist Pavla Hubálková and will take place on Thursday at 3:30 PM in the Theatre Hall of the Konvikt.
The Friday panel discussion OLIVIE—How to Live Longer in Good Health is also part of the Science Matters programme section. It will be held at the Vlastivědné Museum at 11:00 AM and will present the joint vision of transforming the Olomouc Region into the healthy living region OLIVIE. The authors of the strategy, Radek Zbořil from CATRIN and Roman Havlík, director of the Olomouc University Hospital, will discuss its mission and key pillars together with the physician and author Tomáš Šebek and the physician Marta Hicklová.
Project Marketplace Including Trans2Dchem
On Saturday, CATRIN will be represented by the physical chemist Veronika Šedajová at Sparks 4Science, a platform where researchers from Czech institutions present their work to a professional media audience. The presented projects, including Trans2Dchem, will receive feedback from documentary filmmakers, journalists, podcasters, and science communicators. The project, funded by the European Innovation Council, focuses on developing a prototype supercapacitor for electrical energy storage. Scientists use a nitrogen-enriched graphene electrode material developed at CATRIN.
CATRIN has also sent a representative to the international jury. Its member is the plant phenotyping expert Lukáš Spíchal.
The AFO Festival focuses on documentary films that deal with science, social science topics, researchers, research findings, the ethics of pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, and access to education. The programme also aims to demonstrate that film, television, and other audio-visual content remain the most effective tools for popularizing science and serve as an initiation into education and cultural thinking. Admission to the festival is free; accreditation is required. Detailed information and the program are available at https://afo.cz/.
